Democracy is getting hard to swallow…

Recipient of the Lord Mayor’s Award for Best New Australian Work (2018), Crunch Time is Counterpilot’s iconic live art dinner party with a twist. Available to tour from 2022…

Crunch Time is a performative dinner party designed to model the processes of democracy. Seated around a projector-mapped dining table, participant diners use interactive tools to vote for every ingredient used in an elaborate meal.  

Viewed via live-feed video from a nearby kitchen, a guest chef prepares real food in response to demand. But we’re not using master chefs here – instead, each performance will nominate individuals from public positions of leadership. Politicians, artistic directors and CEOs will take their turn to cook up requests from the dining room with dangerously unpredictable results.

Lately, politics has been leaving a bad taste in our mouths. The popular vote can be hard to swallow, but at the end of the day – we’ve all got to eat…

Crunch Time serves a real five-course meal to an intimate audience of twelve people at a time. The stakes are high, the chef is doing their best, and we’re definitely going to be talking politics at the dining table.

Co-commissioned by Metro Arts & Next Wave Festival.

“The digital tech and projections behind Crunch Time are superb. You feel like you’ve been sucked into a game show : the table comes to life with cool infographics, an engaging interactive voting system and, when the time comes, dramatic live crosses to the kitchen...
Nathan Sibthorpe’s concept and design are obviously brilliant.”
-Cameron Woodhead, The Age

"The effects of Crunch Time sneak up on you, and it was only later that I began to think about the challenges of running a country through a democratic process...
Crunch Time is an incredibly well thought out and conceptualised interdisciplinary work that entertainingly highlights how the democratic process works and how it is very easy to disregard the thoughts and opinions of minorities.”
-Myron My, My Melbourne Arts

“It is all ingenious, intricate and just about flawlessly realised...
Crunch Time is a good way to spend a couple of hours.
Go with friends and hope there’s a foodie on the table.”
-Michael Brindley, Stage Whispers

“pushes the boundaries of what contemporary theatre is or can be...
a uniquely immersive theatrical event.”
-The 2018 Matilda Awards

Conceived & Directed by Nathan Sibthorpe
Technical Design by Christine Felmingham
Sound Design by Mike Willmett
Software Design by Clinton Freeman
Graphic Design by Sean Dowling
Animations by Craig Wilkinson
AV Programming by Jeremy Gordon
Construction & Contraptions by John Felmingham
Voice Performance by Lauren Jackson
Project Collaborators: Cam Clark, Toby Martin
Dramaturgy by Benjamin Knapton

Melbourne Season
Operator: Nathan Sibthorpe
Stage manager: Christine Felmingham
Sous Chef: Jennifer Bismire
Producers: Hannah Donnelly & Beau McCafferty

Brisbane Season
Operator: Nathan Sibthorpe
Stage manager: Christine Felmingham
Sous Chef: Jennifer Bismire
Camera Operator: Cam Clark
Kitchen Supervisor: Andrew McKenzie
Producers: Jo Thomas & Matt Seery

Premiere Season for Next Wave Festival 2018
Co-presented by Darebin Arts Speakeasy
3-12 May,
Darebin Arts & Entertainment Centre

Brisbane Season 2018
Co-presented by Metro Arts & TAFE Queensland
5-15 December,
Norman Price Theatre,
TAFE South Bank Campus

Lord Mayor’s Award for Best New Australian Work
2018 Matilda Awards

CRUNCH TIME is available to tour nationally from 2022 with support from Critical Stages.

For more information, please see Critical Stages.

For any enquiries, or to obtain a presenter pack,
please contact Nathan Sibthorpe.

Crunch Time was co-commissioned by Next Wave and Metro Arts. Crunch Time was originally developed for the 2018 Next Wave Festival, presented in association with Darebin Arts Speakeasy.

Through Metro Arts, this project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body. 

Crunch Time is supported by Creative Sparks. The Creative Sparks Fund is a partnership between the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council to support local arts and culture in Brisbane.

Metro Arts’ Work-In-Residence Program is made possible by the support of Lynn Rainbow-Reid AM and John B. Reid AO.